Effects of an Exercise Program Incorporating Taping on Gait Ability in Patients with Stroke and Foot Drop

Purpose: This study investigated the effect of an ankle joint exercise program incorporating taping on gait ability in stroke patients with foot drop.Methods: Participants included 20 stroke patients with foot drop symptoms and were allocated to either an experimental group (n= 9) or a control group (n= 11).Gait ability was analyzed after a 4-week course of treatment applying the intervention for 30 minutes, 3 times per week. Results:The timed up and go test (TUG) revealed significant differences between the groups (p< 0.05), and a significant difference between the groups only after the intervention (p < 0.05).Gait analysis revealed significant differences in the three variables of tempo, speed, and balance between the groups (p < 0.05), and only the tempo and speed variables were significantly different between the groups (p< 0.05). Conclusion:This study confirms a positive effect of an ankle joint exercise program incorporating Kinesio taping on gait ability in stroke patients with foot drop.